Above all else, busy Drury student mastered time management

Some students go above and beyond the educational opportunities college offers. They are involved, challenged and continuously looking to apply skills they've learned.

Daniel Collins fits that description. He is a senior at Drury graduating with a master's degree in architecture in May and a master's degree in business administration in August.

To his friends, Collins might be considered an overachiever. But to Collins, his success is merely about hard work. In addition to graduating with two master's degrees, he starred on the Drury soccer team from 2007-2010.

"Above everything, I had to learn time management," Collins said. "Sometimes it was tough, especially when it came down to hanging out with my friends or studying. But that's what it took to be successful."

An impressive portfolio piece for Collins is the downtown cocktail-house Scotch & Soda. Collins' friend Joshua Widner, the owner of Scotch & Soda, asked Collins if he would design a bar layout. Collins wanted to have fun with the project, which was just an idea at the time, and grabbed inspiration from different environments. Now, that idea is alive and flourishing in the center of downtown Springfield.

Ever since he was young, Collins knew the value of hard work. He credits his family for instilling that in him and his success in soccer is a shining example of hard work.

Being good at soccer wasn't enough; Collins wanted to be the best. That drive has extended to Collins' other passions.

"It's next to impossible to coordinate schedules of two packed programs like the MBA and master of architecture," said Angie Davis, Drury's MBA program director. "But Danny did it. He's held his own in the MBA classes and he's a real encouragement to those around him."

After his final graduation in August, Collins will move to New York City to work with Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, an international architectural firm.

Life in the big city will be a dramatic change for this Glendale High School graduate, but he is excited about the adventure.

"Drury allowed me to create opportunities to earn great experiences," he said. "KPF saw how I merged my two degrees together and that is because I was able to work on skills that best fit my personality."